Embodied Intelligence Applications Proliferate Across Industries; 2026 Poised to Mark the Inaugural Year of Mass Production

Humanoid robots have entered a phase of rapid evolution, advancing well beyond laboratory confines into diverse real-world environments. At the 2025 World Robot Conference, Shanghai Securities Journal correspondents spoke with executives, analysts and investors, all of whom agreed that breakthroughs in algorithms, supportive policies and a surge of capital are driving the commercialization of embodied intelligence. While the sector remains in an exploratory stage of identifying viable use cases, hardware costs are declining and model capabilities continue to improve, setting the stage for what many expect to be the first year of mass production in 2026.

Demonstrations at the conference illustrated the growing breadth of applications. A robotic archer showcased precise bow handling, a dancing humanoid delivered synchronized choreography, and factory-grade robots completed micrometer-level assembly tasks. Daily life applications featured robots expertly skewering candied fruit and coordinating dynamically in football simulations. From agriculture and heavy industry to hospitality and personal companionship, these showcases underscored the technology’s expanding relevance.

Also on display, at UFactory’s booth the DOBOT Atom tightened mechanical-arm bearings to within 0.1 mm tolerance using a wrench in its left hand, while its right hand sorted parts into a six-compartment bin. In a high-speed “popcorn delivery” demonstration, the same robot deftly navigated a narrow workspace, poured snacks into boxes, and responded instantly to audience gestures such as waving and applause. This platform combines millimeter-level precision with a dual-brain decision-making architecture.

Several companies highlighted humanoid robots’ readiness to serve as versatile assistants. Galaxy General’s wheeled humanoid, GALBOT G1, conducted product picking in an unmanned pharmacy environment. At the Xinghaitu stand, an R1 Lite robot sprang into action the moment it received the command to “make the bed.” UBTECH debuted Walker S2, the world’s first autonomous battery-swapping humanoid, which uses 52 degrees of freedom to complete the task in under three minutes.

Kang Yu, General Manager of the Board Office at Shoucheng Holdings, observed that vendors are shifting away from stand-alone technical showcases toward simulated industry, reception and medical scenarios, emphasizing each product’s practical utility and potential to replace human labor. This trend indicates that market expectations now focus on application efficiency and demonstrable value rather than raw technological prowess.

Participants also reported a notable drop in the cost of core components such as lead screws, a sign of supply-chain maturation and of hardware costs outpacing software development. Unitree Robotics CEO Wang Xingxing asserted that affordable hardware will be essential for realizing large-scale commercial deployments once algorithmic sophistication catches up.

Government support for embodied intelligence has intensified. In 2025, the concept was enshrined in the national work report as a priority for future industrial development. A late-July State Council meeting reaffirmed the “AI+” initiative, pledging to accelerate large-scale AI commercialization. Concurrently, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area issued measures to incentivize first-use trials, initial machine-set rewards and benchmark scenario construction, aiming to provide end-to-end support for robot deployment.

Liu Ying of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China noted that these policies are concrete steps toward implementing the “AI+” strategy, and she expects further measures as commercialization accelerates. At the conference, Kang Yu pointed out an unexpected indicator of growing public acceptance: many parents brought children to experience the robots firsthand. Even in their current form, robots’ novelty and charm are winning over audiences, laying the groundwork for future retail and B2C applications.

Investment professionals at the conference predicted that 2026 will herald the first wave of mass production and delivery. UBTECH’s Chief Brand Officer Tan Min confirmed plans to deliver 500 industrial humanoids this year for smart manufacturing. Tiangong Walker, focused on research and education, has secured over 100 orders and expects to ship more than 300 units by year-end. Stardawn Era’s Q5 robot has already booked dozens of orders, with 100 units slated for delivery. Zhipingfang’s AlphaBot series has attracted nearly 500 orders and is operational in factories such as Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor and Crystal Microelectronics.

Jiang Zheyuan, founder of Songyan Power, emphasized that the company’s current priority is scaling up production and delivery, with the education sector—spanning K12, vocational, higher education and research institutions—accounting for the largest share of orders. Galaxy General Robotics founder and CTO Wang He revealed that its robots are already active in ten unmanned pharmacies in Beijing and that this will expand to one hundred by the end of the year.

Despite these advances, some experts warn of product homogenization and a limited range of practical scenarios. Wang Qian, founder of Variable Robotics, argued that true differentiation hinges on elevating the intelligence of large-scale robotic models. Yao Song, Director of the International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center in Shenzhen, compared the current stage of embodied intelligence to early autonomous driving: initial expectations for full autonomy have given way to a focus on lower-level, commercially viable use cases. According to Yao, most robots today operate at Level 1; moving to higher levels will require concentrated efforts on scenarios that are both urgent and realistically implementable.